


Face The Sun

by freduppet



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, and you are going to enjoy it, basically i am going to convince you to like midoyuushino, this fic is not only going to be yuushino im gonna add more relationship tags as it goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21898741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freduppet/pseuds/freduppet
Summary: Yuuta visits some friends, Shinobu is more appreciated than he thought, and Midori......Midori just wants to find a reason to smile again.
Relationships: Aoi Yuuta/Sengoku Shinobu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Face The Sun

**Author's Note:**

> (pulls out my corkboard) OK LISTEN

Shinobu gazed out the window, tracing the beams of the afternoon sun with his eyes down to the floor of the practice room.

Summer was soon approaching. Ryuseitai was on a temporary break, as a reward for all the hard work they had been doing lately in preparation for the end of the year, and for graduation.

Shinobu didn’t like to think about graduation. Even though a whole year had already passed, it still felt like he barely got to spend any time with his seniors at all. And now, Ryuseitai was going to be left to just him, Midori, and Tetora...the thought of it scared him. Not because he didn’t trust his two classmates, quite the opposite---it was just that he was unsure of how they would be able to handle things on their own.

Would they truly be able to carry on the legacy of Ryuseitai properly?

He shouldn’t be letting himself get down like this when his seniors had so much confidence in the three of them, he thought. He took a deep breath. Everything was going to be alright.

It took a few more minutes before Shinobu realized what he had been doing. 

He had gotten so used to the routine of the past month, of Ryuseitai working endlessly until sundown for their final live shows, that he had forgotten about the break entirely for the day; he had been sitting in the empty room to no avail this whole time.

Shinobu giggled to himself. Even if it was rather un-ninja-like for him to forget something so important, he still found his actions amusing, thinking of how his fellow unit members would have reacted if they were to know of the situation.

He gathered his things from around him, and stood up to leave. However, as soon as he came to the door, there happened to be someone else attempting to enter at the same time. 

Hinata stopped just short of Shinobu, who staggered backwards at the sight of him. Shinobu bowed to him immediately. “H-Hinata-kun!! I’m so sorry, de gozaru! Please excuse me!!”

Hinata just laughed. “Shinobu-kun! What have you been doing in here all alone? I thought Ryuseitai was taking a rest?”

Yuuta peeked out from behind his brother. “Oh, Shinobu-kun? Hello.”

Shinobu nodded. “Hello! Well, you see, It seems that...I had forgotten about the break, and came here without thought! Haha…”

Hinata patted his head. “You’re so dedicated! I’m so proud!” 

Shinobu blushed. “Huh? This is embarrassing, de gozaru…” 

Yuuta stepped forward from behind Hinata. “I’m a little bit jealous of you, honestly. I wish we could be taking a break, but we’re so much less popular than Ryuseitai, we have to work really hard…”

“Well, I wish you two good luck!” Shinobu smiled. “I look forward to seeing your next performances very much!”

“Thank you, Shinobu-kun! If I see you in the crowd, I’ll give you a wink!” Hinata gave a thumbs up to Shinobu, before looking over at his brother. “Hey, Yuuta-kun...did you bring any water?”

Yuuta raised his eyebrows. “I think so…” He shrugged off his bag and began to dig inside. He huffed. “Aw, I forgot…”

Shinobu’s eyes lit up. “I can go get you both something from the vending machines, de gozaru!”

Hinata clapped his hands together. “Really? That would be great! Though, I think Yuuta-kun should go with you, so he can pay for it. I’ll pay him back for my own drink.”

Yuuta nodded. “Same as always, Aniki?”

“Yep!”

Yuuta took ahold of Shinobu’s hand, causing him to yelp. “Then, we’re off!”

“H-hey, be careful!” Shinobu cried. 

The two of them walked down the hallway in silence, Yuuta never releasing Shinobu’s hand. Although he found it a bit strange, Shinobu allowed it, taking it as a sign of friendship. 

He watched as the locks of Yuuta’s hair bounced behind him while he ran. 

Like a wisp of the wind, Yuuta was free---flowing to wherever he wanted, whatever he desired, as if nothing was ever going to hold him back. He was always able to find a way in and out of things, whether they were of importance to him or not, with an ease that amazed Shinobu whenever he witnessed it. 

And as the wind does, he had a bit of a tendency to carry others into things with him anyways, such as now.

When Yuuta suddenly stopped in front of the vending machine, Shinobu jumped, startled by the sudden jerk of his arm. Yuuta snickered, letting go of Shinobu’s hand to dig in his pocket for change. He glanced towards Shinobu. “Do you want anything?”

Shinobu shook his head. “I’m alright! Thank you very much, de gozaru!” He clapped his hands together. 

“Oh, yeah, you’re going home soon, aren’t you…” Yuuta sounded almost disappointed, much to Shinobu’s surprise. 

“Well, yes, I am…” Shinobu dropped his hands into his pockets. “Is there something wrong? Do you need me for anything before I leave?”

Yuuta hummed, tapping the buttons on the machine. “No, I just like it when you’re around.” He smiled. 

Shinobu’s face flushed a light pink. “O-oh! Such high praise...thank you!!” He reached up a hand to fiddle with his bangs. 

Yuuta took the drink cans from the machine, spinning back around on his heel to face Shinobu. “You ready?”

“Y-yeah.” Shinobu replied. He waited for Yuuta to walk past him before trailing to his side.

Yuuta carried one can in each hand, pumping his arms as he walked as if they were training weights. Shinobu thought it rather amusing.

“Hey, Shinobu-kun. Do you want to hang out with me on Friday? Aniki is going to the mall with some friends after school, and I didn’t want to go, so I’ll be all alone.” 

Shinobu’s eyes sparkled. It had been a while since someone asked him that. “Of course!! I will always be willing to attend to a friend in need, de gozaru!”

“Great! Um, is your house OK? Our house is…” Yuuta paused. “...Kind of a mess, right now.”

“That’s fine! Shall we walk there together after class?” Shinobu’s excitement bled into his voice, making Yuuta feel a warmth in his chest. 

“Sure. I’ll meet you at the school gate?” 

“Sounds great! I’ll be there!!” 

After another minute, they approached the practice room once again, and Shinobu bid Yuuta farewell. Yuuta sighed. 

“Thank you, Yuuta-kun!” Hinata took his drink from Yuuta’s hand, examining his face when he noticed how still Yuuta was being. “Hmmm? Something wrong?”

Yuuta startled, looking over at his brother. “Oh, nothing. I’m going to Shinobu-kun’s house on Friday, by the way.”

“That’s great! I hope you have fun!” Hinata beamed. Yuuta just blinked at him. “...That’s something you want to do, right?” Hinata’s smile faded.

“O-of course!!” Yuuta chuckled nervously. “I...Shinobu’s one of my best friends!” 

Hinata squinted, examining Yuuta’s flustered face. Then, he gasped. 

“Ohh, so it’s like _that!_ Yuuta-kun, you should have told me!!” Hinata grabbed his brother’s shoulders. “Since when? Tell me everything!!”

Yuuta blushed furiously, pushing Hinata away from him. “No, Aniki! We’re just friends...he doesn’t like me back…”

“I still think you should tell him, Yuuta! When the time is right, sweep him off his feet!” HInata laughed. 

“Maybe…” Yuuta smiled weakly. 

Hinata patted him on the back. “You’re a good boy, Yuuta-kun! Anyone would be lucky to have you! Have confidence in yourself!...Besides. Shinobu-kun has a soft heart. He would never hold your feelings against you, even if he didn’t return them.”

“You’re right.” Yuuta stood a little straighter. “...Thank you, Aniki.”

“Anytime! Now, let’s get started…”

* * *

Shinobu’s bedroom was...about what Yuuta would have expected. It would have been rather dim, if not for the twinkling night-lights sprouting from each plug, and was made cozy by the piles of Shinobu’s things stacked in each corner. Or, perhaps “cozy” wasn’t quite the right word, but it was how Yuuta felt anyway. 

The ambient noise of running water in the tank inhabited by Shinobu’s pet frogs was rather soothing, and with how quiet and dark the room was, Yuuta kept feeling like he would nod off if Shinobu wasn’t keeping him on his toes with his boundless energy.

After Shinobu had finished giving him a tour of his bedroom, which was rather short-lived because it wasn’t very big, Yuuta went to sit on the edge of the bed, Shinobu following suit.

“I apologize for there not being a lot of remarkably interesting things about my home, de gozaru. However, I am so glad that you are here!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Yuuta looked around the room once again, eyes fixating on some strange scrolls hanging on Shinobu’s walls.

“So! Is there anything that you want to do, Yuuta-kun?” Shinobu swung his legs. 

“Hmmm…” Yuuta tapped his chin for effect. “Do you have any movies?”

“Oh! Well…” Shinobu blushed slightly. “I-I do! But...I’m not sure if they’re the kind of thing that you would like to watch, de gozaru…”

Yuuta smiled. He knew that he was probably talking about sentai ranger movies. “I’m fine with anything. It’s okay.”

He held back a laugh as Shinobu lit up. “Okay!” He darted over to the cabinet below the small television in the corner of his room, carefully opening the creaking doors to reveal an extensive collection of...exactly what Yuuta was expecting, along with movies about ninjas, samurai, and even kung-fu heroes. 

It was genuinely impressive to Yuuta. “You’ve got quite the collection, Shinobu-kun…”

Shinobu wrung his hands. “You think so?”

Yuuta scanned the titles of each movie, pulling out a few every once in a while to read about it on its back cover. Some of the summaries made him chuckle. Shinobu stood behind him, bouncing on his heels in anticipation.

Surprisingly, the movie that Yuuta had thought the most interesting happened to be one of the ranger movies. He stood up, handing the case to Shinobu. “How about this one?”

Shinobu beamed. “Great choice! But...it’s the second part of a trilogy, de gozaru! Do you want to watch the first one beforehand?” Shinobu knelt back down to pick out another movie from the shelf. He showed the cover to Yuuta.

He shrugged. “Why not?” 

With that, Shinobu hurried to turn on the television, sliding the dvd in the player with great enthusiasm to the point Yuuta was worried he would break it. 

Once he had set up the movie, Shinobu went back to his bed, scooting all the way to the side and patting the spot next to him. Yuuta took a seat, close enough so that their legs were touching, resisting the urge to lean on his shoulder. 

As each character appeared for the first time, Shinobu would explain everything about them so passionately, that it was difficult for Yuuta to even hear the dialogue. Though, he didn’t mind. He was more entertained watching Shinobu’s vigorous hand motions and reenactments of past events the characters had been through than the movie itself.

When Shinobu finished, they were already almost at the middle of the movie. It had actually become even more enjoyable for Yuuta now that he knew why some things were happening. He laughed at something Shinobu’s favorite character said, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shinobu shake his fists in excitement.

By the end of the movie, Yuuta thought he may have to come watch through Shinobu’s movie collection with him more often.

Shinobu looked over at Yuuta. “What did you think?”

Yuuta laughed. “I liked it. Should we watch the second one now?

“Sure! But, do you have time to finish it, de gozaru?” Shinobu looked at the clock.

Yuuta followed his gaze. “Hmm...I should be able to watch just one more before I have to go home. All Aniki said was that I should be home before it got too dark, so…”

And, admittedly, he had become a bit tired, it being the end of the week and all.

“Okay!” Shinobu hopped off the bed, grabbing the second movie and the case of the first off of his nightstand.

Yuuta curled up into himself, resting his chin on his knees and wrapping his arms around his shins. He tapped his feet on the blanket as he waited for Shinobu to come back. The spot where he had been felt cold, and empty. Yuuta smirked at the drama of that thought.

Before he knew it, Shinobu had fit himself right back into where he was by Yuuta’s side, leaning his head against Yuuta’s shoulder. Yuuta felt his face grow warm.

Shinobu glanced up at him. “Is this...alright?”

Yuuta nodded slightly, looking away. “Yeah…”

Shinobu snuggled even closer, wrapping his arm around Yuuta’s. His eyes were still trained on Yuuta, and he could feel it. 

They watched the movie in silence. Shinobu yawned several times. Yuuta figured he was tired as well. 

And, being snuggled up to Shinobu, who was always radiating warmth and energy even in his resting state, didn’t help either.

Yuuta blinked once, then twice.

His vision blurred, and he felt his head fall against Shinobu’s.

Then, all of a sudden, his eyes snapped open, and everything felt a bit different than before.

Did he fall asleep?

The television flickered in front of him, neon colors of sentai ranger costumes dancing across the screen, too blindingly bright for him to even want to bother trying to make out what was currently happening. 

He glanced over towards the window, looking through the slivers of the blinds. The sky had faded into an unforgiving starless void, causing Yuuta to nearly jump out of his skin. 

His eyes drifted over to Shinobu’s alarm clock. It was well beyond midnight.

Yuuta attempted to stretch his arms above his head, instinctively, but his left arm was mysteriously being weighed down by something. In fact, he suddenly became hyper-aware that there was, indeed, some- _one_ laying across his lap, fast asleep, body resting against Yuuta’s own. 

However, Yuuta did not remember Shinobu snuggling himself against his torso in such a manner in his last moments of consciousness the previous day. Although, he vaguely remembered Shinobu’s head upon his shoulder at one point. Perhaps he tumbled over in his sleep.

 _No fair_ , Yuuta thought. _Now, I can’t move until you wake up._

He gazed down at Shinobu’s gentle sleeping face. His bangs had fallen back over Yuuta’s knee, exposing his right eye. 

It felt...strangely intimate.

The thought that this uncharacteristically tranquil Shinobu that rested upon his lap right now was a sight unique to Yuuta only in this moment made his heart flutter restlessly.

He gave into the urge to lace his fingers through Shinobu’s hair, carefully combing each strand, allowing himself to get lost in the mundane repetitive motions until he started to feel drowsy again. Shinobu never stirred, only emitting a soft snore every once in a while. 

A heavy sleeper for a ninja. Yuuta smiled. 

Then, he realized something.

If Shinobu didn’t react to Yuuta playing with his hair for several minutes straight while he slept, then surely, Shinobu would never know if Yuuta were to…

He stared at Shinobu’s cheek. 

What would he say if he awoke at just the wrong time? Would Shinobu think of it as a friendly gesture, just a way for a best friend to wordlessly tell him goodnight? After all, it took him a long time to figure out that Chiaki and Kanata would kiss each other’s cheeks out of an affection deeper than that of even best friends. 

However, on that note, maybe Shinobu would be hyper-aware of that specific gesture now, to where if anyone were to give _him_ a kiss rather than his own mother, he would perceive it as something romantic.

It’s not like that perception wouldn’t be Yuuta’s intention. But...were the stakes too high? Was Yuuta...ready?

He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling a blush crawl up his neck. 

“Yuuta-kun…? Are you okay?”

Yuuta yelped. Much to his embarrassment. 

It didn’t help that Shinobu had lifted a hand up to cradle Yuuta’s cheek. 

“I’m f-fine! Shinobu-kun!” Yuuta laughed. It sounded extremely forced. 

Shinobu furrowed his brow. “You don’t look very fine to me, de gozaru. Do you think you might have caught a cold, somehow? Your face is so red…” His thumb stroked Yuuta’s chin. Yuuta twitched.

“I...I’m sure it’s just me being disoriented to the light, or something. I just woke up,” Yuuta lied, smiling weakly. 

Shinobu looked into Yuuta’s eyes, concern evident in his features. “...Yuuta-kun. You don’t have to hide things from me, de gozaru. You’re my friend.”

Yuuta took a deep breath. “Are you sure?”

Shinobu nodded slowly. “Of course. I want to know what’s bothering you, de gozaru! I want to help...i-if you’d like me to!”

Yuuta didn’t reply. He simply leaned forward, until his head rested on Shinobu’s chest. He tilted his head to listen for his heartbeat.

It was pounding. Very quickly.

Yuuta’s eyes widened.

No way.

“Shinobu-kun…” Yuuta closed his eyes, as if bracing himself for impact.

He heard a hitch in Shinobu’s breathing.

“...Thank you. I love you.”

Shinobu gasped, so quietly that Yuuta could only hear because he was close. He raised his head up from Shinobu’s chest to look down at his face.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite do that, as Shinobu had covered it completely with his hands. 

Yuuta giggled. “Oh.” 

Shinobu peeked through a crack between his fingers. “G-Give me a moment, de gozaru...p-please!”

He rolled off of Yuuta, almost onto his stomach, then kicked his legs a few times. After a short while, he finally turned back over to face Yuuta, arms folded across his chest. He sat up that way, reaching one arm down to adjust himself before folding it over the other again.

“I-I have never had anyone speak such passionate words towards me, Yuuta-kun!” Shinobu’s face was embarrassingly red. Yuuta bit back a laugh.

Shinobu hung his head. “I appreciate it, truly...! However, I do not know how to respond in proper!! Please forgive me, de gozaru!!” 

Yuuta nodded. “That’s okay.” He grinned cheekily. “I just wanted you to know.” 

“I’m flattered, Yuuta-kun!” Shinobu looked back up at Yuuta, eyes sparkling. “I love you, too! I do!” 

Yuuta patted Shinobu’s head. Shinobu leaned into his touch, and it made him smile even wider. He wrapped his arms around Shinobu, and they sat like that for a while, Shinobu snuggling into the crook of Yuuta’s neck.

After a minute or two more, Yuuta sighed. “Well, Aniki will get mad at me if I try to come home at this time, so...do you mind if…?” 

Shinobu raised his eyebrows. “O-oh! Go ahead! Um...you can sleep on my bed, I’ll find somewhere else to sleep!”

Yuuta hummed. “Why don’t you just sleep on the bed with me? We’d both fit on it.”

Shinobu startled. “If t-that’s what would make you comfortable, de gozaru!”

Yuuta reached over and tapped his finger over Shinobu’s heart. “I want _you_ to be comfortable, too.” 

Shinobu stared at him. He blinked, then slowly, his cheeks drew up into a grin. “Thank you, Yuuta-kun! Um…” He looked towards his door, then back at Yuuta. “Do you...want me to see if I can find you a toothbrush? I would offer you a change of clothes, but I’m not sure if what I have would be a very comfortable fit…”

Yuuta almost had a heart attack at the thought of that. “Don’t worry about it! A...a toothbrush would be nice...uh...thanks.” His voice trailed off.

Shinobu nodded, leaving Yuuta alone for the next few minutes.

He took his phone off of Shinobu’s nightstand. 

15 new messages from Hinata.

He should probably answer those.

Luckily enough, as soon as he was done reassuring Hinata that he indeed was not dead in an alley, Shinobu came back through the door to lead him to the bathroom. 

Shinobu went back to his own bedroom to change, switching places with Yuuta once they both finished what they were doing.

This time, Yuuta laid down close to the wall to leave room for Shinobu. He pulled the blankets over himself, fiddling with his phone. When Shinobu returned to his side, offering to put Yuuta’s phone back on the nightstand for him, they flipped onto their sides to face each other.

Shinobu looked worried. “Yuuta-kun...I want to make you happy, but…I’ve never...d-dated anyone...de gozaru...so I’m not sure how it works…”

Yuuta tensed, eyes widening. “Dating?”

“Isn’t that what would come next, de gozaru…? If we both...you know…” Shinobu ducked his face into the blankets.

Yuuta thought for a moment. “Well...we don’t have to do it immediately, if you don’t feel like you’re ready...we can stay friends!” He reached for Shinobu’s hands.

“I don’t know...I might want to think about it for a little bit longer. Is that okay?” Shinobu laced their fingers together. “After all, I don’t know what...my parents…”

“I understand. Don’t worry.” Yuuta chuckled weakly.

Shinobu let go of Yuuta’s hands, instead opting to wrap his arms around him. Yuuta reciprocated. He heard Shinobu’s heartbeat slow as he relaxed, head against Yuuta’s chest.

“Thank you, Yuuta-kun...I really do love you…”

Yuuta gave Shinobu a gentle pat on the back. 

He knew he was going to miss this as soon as it ended.


End file.
